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One of the things I enjoy most about planning a party or event is deciding what food to make. Our third grandchild's baby shower recently was a morning event, so savoury things appealed to me more than sweets. These polenta squares, based on a photo, were easy to make with much prep done in advance, and they tasted so good. The softly caramelized onions, the melting Brie, the crunchy salty bacon and the cornmeal base all melded together wonderfully.
The polenta can be made the day before and chilled, covered with plastic wrap. Caramelize the onions ahead of time, too, and keep them in the fridge. I also baked the bacon, cut it into pieces and refrigerated it (stuck waaay back in the fridge so I wouldn't sneak bits.) The topping recipe follows the polenta square recipe.
Brie, Bacon and Onion on Polenta Squares
polenta:
4 cups of chicken broth, or vegetable broth
2 cups of polenta corn
2 teaspoons of pizza spice or herbes de Provence, optional
1/2 teaspoon salt
olive oil for greasing baking sheet and brushing on top
Bring the broth to a boil over high heat in a large saucepan. Slowly stir in the polenta corn. Add the spice/herbs and salt. Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer until very thick, about 15-20 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.
While the mixture is cooking, oil a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. When the mixture is thick, pour it into the prepared baking sheet. Level out the mixture with a flat metal spatula. I found an off-set spatula very useful. Spread the mixture 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. You want the squares to be able to hold the toppings without being floppy when picked up.
Let the polenta cool. Brush the top with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.
When ready to serve, cut the polenta into squares, about 1 1/2 inches square. Top each with a spoonful of caramelized onions, a small wedge of Brie cheese, and a few pieces of crisp bacon.
Bake the squares at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through and the Brie is softened and slightly melting. Serve hot or warm.
toppings:
2 large yellow onions, peeled, halved and sliced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
coarse salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and gently saute them until softened. Add salt to taste and the thyme. Continue stirring and cooking the onions until they are very soft and just beginning to caramelize. Remove from heat and set aside to cool, or make ahead and refrigerate until needed.
Brie cheese (one small wheel), cut into small wedges
Bacon, about 8 slices, baked until crisp at 350 degrees, drained, and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces
Many European cultures claim variations on milk desserts. Crème Brulée for the French, Custard for the English, Flan for the Spanish.
The Italians have Panna Cotta, which I'd never made or tried until recently. It's been on my mind to try recently, but I wanted to get past the sugar glut of Christmas.
When I saw the carton of eggnog in the fridge, I had an aha moment. What if I used eggnog for the panna cotta. Well, I wasn't the first to come up with the idea, when I did a search on the internet. So I carried on, adapting this and that until I came up with this dessert. It's refreshing, surprisingly light, and carried just the right post-festive flavour with the eggnog. I'll be making this again with regular milk, or maybe coconut or almond milk. Hmmm. More possibilities.
Eggnog Panna Cotta
1/2 cup cream
1 envelope (2 teaspoons) unflavoured gelatin
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 cups eggnog
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
Sprinkle the gelatin over the cream in a small saucepan. Heat gently and stir until the gelatin is completed dissolved. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Stir in the eggnog, vanilla and freshly grated nutmeg. Strain through a wire mesh strainer to remove any possible lumps.
Pour into individual dishes and chill until set, at least 4 hours. Serve with fresh fruit or a fruit sauce. Here, I've added a dollop of Blueberry Sauce that I canned last summer.
My eldest daughter is the one who found this recipe when she was first married. We all loved it, and I've made the cookies every year since. The original recipe calls for the addition of chopped white chocolate to the dough, but I found I preferred it best without the white chocolate.
They keep well and taste even better. Buttery, with a hint of citrus, and some chewy tartness in the cranberries.
Cranberry Orange Shortbread
1/2 pound butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup icing sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Cream butter and icing sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat until light. Add the orange zest, vanilla, and cranberries.
Add the flour and cornstarch and mix well.
Chill the dough for about 20 minutes if it is too soft to handle. Roll mixture into small balls and place on parchment lined baking sheets. Press the tops of the cookies with a fork that has been dipped in flour to prevent sticking.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until pale golden around the edges. Cool on a baking rack. Store tightly covered, or frozen.
Note: The original recipe called for the dough to be rolled to about 1/4 inch thickness and then cut out, but I found that the edges were often ragged because of the cranberries, so I form them into balls. Rolling is certainly an option.
It seems that more and more people are eating gluten-free (not me!) for medical or other reasons. I like to offer something gluten free, but I'm not prepared to fill my pantry with all kinds of different flours that I'll use infrequently. So I look for things that are naturally gluten-free. I was going through my recipe box and found this recipe. I have no idea where it came from.
These are easy to make and quite delectable, with a brownie-ish texture in the center. I think they could be frozen, too.
Chocolate Pecan Brownie Kisses (makes about 36)
6 oz semisweet chocolate (I used Baker's chocolate squares)
2 egg whites, at room temperature
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line three cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate squares (6 oz) in a double boiler or microwave. Cool slightly.
Whip the egg whites with the salt, vinegar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, keep beating until stiff peaks form.
Pour the melted chocolate over top, then the chocolate chips and pecans. Fold in as lightly as possible. A few white streaks will remain. The batter will be very sticky.
Use two spoons to drop blobs of batter onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake in the middle of the oven, for 8-12 minutes, until cookies lose their wet look, and hold their shape when you gently lift them. Let rest on cookie sheets for 1-2 minutes. (You can transfer them to wire racks for further cooling, but I just let mine cool on the parchment lined cookie sheets.
Store in airtight containers in fridge for up to 5 days.
Here we are in rainy November. A good time for a moist, flavorful cake, I think. This one fits the bill perfectly. I've made it for a number of years and have never been disappointed. Full of the season's flavours, it could even be considered "healthy" with the use of whole wheat flour.
Pumpkin Cranberry Bundt Cake
2 cups whole wheat flour (or use 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (fresh is best)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canned pureed pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 cup fresh cranberries (or frozen and thawed), coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Butter and flour an 8 cup Bundt pan.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
In a smaller bowl, whisk the eggs until foamy (you could certainly use a mixer for this.) Add the sugar, then the oil and pumpkin and mix until well blended.
Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Gently stir in the cranberries. Pour batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack.
Dust with icing sugar to serve, or make a glaze with maple syrup, a little soft butter, and icing sugar. (I made a glaze.)
I love cranberry sauce with turkey and chicken throughout the year, so when cranberries come into season in the fall, I buy several bag fulls and preserve enough for the year. It's easy to do and the result tastes so much better, in my opinion, than anything commercial.
Cranberry Sauce
4 cups fresh cranberries, washed and drained
2 cups water
1 stick of cinnamon, 3-4 inches
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
Bring the cranberries, water, and cinnamon stick to boil in a large pot over high heat. When boiling, reduce to medium low and simmer 20 minutes. You will hear the cranberries go pop, pop, pop - a lovely sound.
Add the sugar and simmer another 5 minutes. Stir in the orange zest for the last minute or so.
Pour into hot, sterilized jars and seal with lids that have been boiled for 5 minutes. Screw on the lids finger tight and leave the jars to cool. You'll hear the lids pop as they seal.
Yields about 4 half-pints of cranberry sauce.
The cinnamon stick and orange zest could certainly be left out if you prefer a sauce with pure cranberry flavour.
Cooler nights mean cooler days which means soup is so appealing. I could eat soup every day. This is almost a non-recipe, consisting of just 5 ingredients (plus seasoning.) It's similar to the Ginger-Warmed Butternut Squash Soup recipe posted in January, but without the ginger and pear. It's filling, homey, and warming - and with some grilled cheese sandwiches - makes a lovely supper.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-2 inch cubes
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 cups chicken broth
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss the squash cubes and onion quarters with the olive oil. Spread on rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes, or until tender and browning.
Place the vegetables in a large pot, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Cool slightly, then puree. Add more broth or water if the mixture is too thick. Adjust seasonings, Just before serving stir in the cream.
For a fun presentation, drizzle a bit of cream on top of each soup bowl and sprinkle with a few sunflower seeds.
